


Do you know what's worth fighting for

by Crayonlighting



Category: Vampire Academy & Related Fandoms, Vampire Academy Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:47:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6877957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crayonlighting/pseuds/Crayonlighting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dimitri is Strigoi. Rose is still alive. He will do anything to protect her. He's gotten a taste of what life with Rose could be like, and he's not willing to give that up. Strigoi are soulless, but maybe they can learn to feel. Learn to love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Do you know what's worth fighting for

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:I borrowed the title from Green Day. This is also been crossposted to my FF.net page.

Rose sits down on the bed, staring past the metal bars on the window, flinching when she hears the door open. Rose can feel her hands tremble, as the bedroom door opens and she’s staring back into a pair of red eyes, and an evil smile.

“Roza” Dimitri says, crossing the room swiftly.

She can see his fangs when he smiles, and she wants to run, but she knows he’s still much faster than she is.

“What are you doing?” he asks evil smile fading from his lips, when Rose backs up away from him.

“Nothing” she says, looking at his pale skin and she can feel the goosebumps rise on her arms, and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“Nothing” he says, his voice is cold, “looks like you’re going somewhere.”

Rose looks over her shoulder, looking into the corner of the dark bedroom, “Nowhere to go” she says, looking back at Dimitri.

“You always were a smartass” he says, and when Rose blinks, she’s staring into his red irises, telling her brain to relax her body.

Rose closes her eyes, “I need to go to the bathroom” she says.

Dimitri looks at Rose for a moment, before stepping aside, “I trust you.”

It wasn’t like she could escape from the bathroom, there weren’t any windows, and if there were, there she’s sure there would be bars on them as well. She walks past Dimitri’s hardened form, going into the tiny bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Dimitri had removed all the locks from the rooms inside the tiny apartment weeks ago; she sits down on the edge of the bath tub, putting her head in her hands, letting herself think.

Rose gets up after a couple of minutes running some cold water, splashing her face with the cold water. She looks up when she hears the door click shut; Rose towels off her face, before walking out into the living room, sitting down on the sofa. Rose looks around the room, a heavy sigh leaving her chest, she was tired of these four walls she was starting to feel trapped like a mouse in a cage.

Dimitri walks back into the room after a couple of minutes moving to the sofa, sitting down beside Rose. Rose looks over at Dimitri, “Let me guess” she says, “You’re leaving, and I’m staying here, again. Alone.”

“You’re safer alone” he says.

“You keep telling me, this is to keep me safe, but I don’t feel any safer” she says, “I feel like a house cat, who can’t leave the house, and even cats get to go out every once and a while.”

“Kittens always come home” he says looking back at her.

Rose crosses her arms over her chest, turning away from him, “I told you, I’m not going to leave.”

“And I know how well you can lie” he says leaning closer to her.

“I’m not lying” she says turning to look at him, “You already made it clear what happens if I try and leave.”

“It’s not safe for you out there Roza” he says.

“Then take me somewhere I am safe!” she cries, “I’m tired of this damn apartment, I want to go outside, where there’s fresh air.”

“Don’t raise your voice at me” he says, “We’re not leaving,” and Rose groans, wanting to pull her hair out.

Dimitri looks over at Rose, lips pursed in a fine line clearly annoyed by her outbursts, “I’m making this a safe place for us” he says simply.

“I don’t want to stay here” she says.

“You’ll go where I tell you, we’re going” he says, getting the scent of her hair, when she flips her hair in annoyance.

Rose gasps, when Dimitri pushes her down onto the sofa, and his body is pressed flush against hers, and she’s looks back into his eyes. Dimitri looks back Rose her scent was overpowering to him.

“What are you doing?” she asks finally.

Dimitri’s fangs brush against the nape of her neck, “You ask a lot of questions” he says, “but I know how to keep you quiet.”

Rose’s eyes slip shut, as her head starts to spin she tilts her head to the side, as Dimitri’s fangs sink deeper into the base of her neck, and her body starts to tingle. Rose uses all of her will power not to let the ecstasy overcome her, her hands find their way into Dimitri’s hair. Dimitri’s hands cup at Rose’s left breast, as he drinks from her vein for another ten seconds, before he stops himself. Dimitri can’t help the smirk on his lip as he watches the wave of pleasure roll over Rose, and the way her eyes flutter back to life.

Rose’s body want’s to protest, but her brain knows better, she opens her eyes, pushing Dimitri away from her, “What are you doing?” she asks again, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” he asks, “Make you feel amazing?”

“It doesn’t” she says, scooting back, pulling her knees to her chest.

“There you go, lying again” he says, moving to the other side of the sofa, licking her blood from the corner of his mouth.

Rose looks over at Dimitri, not sure what to say “I don’t want to be here” she says.

Dimitri sighs unable to keep his eyes from rolling in annoyance, “I give you everything you need” he says, “pretty clothes, food to eat, the most amazing pleasure you’ve ever felt before in your life” he says, brushing his fingers against the bite marks on her neck, “You have a nice bed, and anything else you want, I bring to you.”

“Not everything” she says.

Dimitri narrows his eyes at her, starting to get angry, “you want to leave” he says, getting up walking to the door, “Go ahead” he says opening the door.

Rose looks at Dimitri, then to the open door, she feels a heavy pit settle in her stomach, she shakes her head looking back at Dimitri.

“Come on, this is what you wanted” he says, “go outside, it’s a warm night, you won’t even need a sweater.”

Rose looks at Dimitri, “I want to be with you” she says, getting up from the sofa, walking toward him, her eyes glancing outside the open door, she can smell the scent of the grass from outside, and she does want to go outside.

“No, you want to be outside” he says, “The door is open.”

“Who’s out there?” she asks.

“Find out for yourself” he says.

Rose looks sadly back at Dimitri, “you promise you’ll take me when it’s safe for us?”

“Yes Roza” he says, walking over gently cupping her face in his hands, “when it’s safe for us, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go” he says, leaning his forehead against hers.

“Okay” she whispers, looking up at him, and he kisses her, wrapping his arms around her body, holding her close against him, and she can taste copper on his tongue.

Rose lays quietly against Dimitri, clinging to his shirt, “I’m going to be alone again, when you leave.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow night” he says, gently stroking her hair.

“And until then, I’m going to be alone” she says.

Dimitri sighs annoyed, “Yes Rose, you’ll be alone for the day, until I come visit you.”

“I’m tired of being visited” she says, “Why can’t I be around you like everyone else?”

“I told you Rose, it’s not safe” he says.

“Why not?”

Dimitri looks down at Rose, “Do you want to be like me?” he asks.

Rose looks at Dimitri falling silent shaking her head.

“I don’t want that either” he says.

Rose sighs, “I don’t like the way I feel when I’m here alone.”

Dimitri looks down at Rose, “Galina- “

“Don’t say her name” Rose snarls, she hated when Dimitri talked about her, she was apparently the reason she had to be here alone all the time.

“You’re jealous” he states.

“I don’t care” she says, “Don’t say her name again, I don’t want to hear it.”

Dimitri rolls his eyes, “you’re acting like a child.”

“And you won’t stand up for me” she says.

“I’m the only reason you’re still alive Rose” he says, “All I do is stand up for you, protect you, keep you safe.”

“Not when it comes to her” she says, “You do anything she asks, even if it means keeping me locked away like her evil step sister, keeping me alone in the dark sometimes for days.”

“You’re being ridiculous” he says.

Rose sits up on the bed, “There you go again.”

“Oh you’re getting upset with me” he observes.

Rose glares over at Dimitri, “She’s the reason I’m a pariah.”

“She’ll kill you” he says, “and she won’t think twice about drinking down every last drop of your blood, and leaving your pretty corpse lying around.”

“You’re not scaring me” she says.

Dimitri looks at Rose, “You should be scared” he says, “Because no one is going to keep you around except for me.”

“So I’m just a play thing to you.”

“I care for you” he says looking back at the younger girl, “The fact that you taste so good” he says, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

“Please” she whimpers, closing her eyes, “Not again.”

“I know you want it Rose” he says, and he can feel Rose shudder beneath him

Dimitri moves his hands to Rose’s waist, pushing his fingers underneath the thin fabric of her shirt, as his fangs brush against her skin, “Come closer” he says.

Rose climbs over into Dimitri’s lap without any hesitation, she looks down at him and he smiles back at her.

“Strip” and Rose pulls off her shirt, and removes her bra, anticipation igniting within her.

Rose reaches under her denim skirt, pulling her panties down, looking back at Dimitri, “Are you going to touch me now?”

Dimitri looks at Rose, brushing his thumb against her erect nipple, causing her to shudder beneath him, “It’s always about sex with you isn’t it.”

“Well I’m going to be here alone for the next twelve hours, or longer” she says, “and I sleep better after” she shrugs.

“Well, you have ten minutes” he says.

“That’s hardly enough time for me to get off” she complains.

Dimitri almost laughs “You should get to it then” he says, “You’re down to nine.”

“So not sexy” she says.

Dimitri leans in, “let me help you” he says, slipping his hands underneath her skirt, her skin is warm against his fingers. Dimitri kisses at Rose’s neck, kissing at her breast, as two of his fingers slide into her already wet pussy.

Rose moans, rolling her hips down as Dimitri’s fingers move faster and Rose’s fingers find their way into Dimitri’s hair and she arches her back.

“You’re always so ready for me” he says, “almost needy, do you need me Rose?” he smirks.

Rose bites her lower lips, letting her eyes slip shut, rolling her hips down, and Dimitri’s fingers curl into her, “fuck” she groans.

“Not tonight” he says, slipping a third finger into Rose’s wet cunt, and she pulls on his hair.

Rose groans, “you never let me” she says, rocking her hips down against his fingers.

“I always get you off” he says, thrusting his fingers faster into her, leaning down kissing her nipple, sucking gently.

Rose moans loudly, her muscles clenching tight around his fingers, and she pushes her hips down arching her back, giving him more access to her breasts; Dimitri’s free hand, pinches at her eft nipple, and Rose cries out.

“I want more” she breathes, as Dimitri’s wet fingers, slide faster into her.

Dimitri looks down at his lap, when Rose screams coming all over his hand drenching his lap. A smile forms on his lips, “looks like you only needed seven minutes.”

Rose groans as Dimitri pulls his fingers out of her, “No, please” she says, “don’t stop.”

“It’s time for bed” he says, picking her up off of him, “go.”

Rose glares at Dimitri, “You’re fucking her” she says.

“Go to bed” he says, getting up from the sofa.

“You’re not denying it” she says.

Dimitri looks at Rose, “I’ll see you tomorrow” he says, brushing his fingers over the wet spot on his jeans.

Rose crosses her arms over her chest, walking back to the bedroom shutting the door behind her. Rose waits until she hears the door lock before she walks out of the bedroom, going to take a shower. Rose is frustrated and annoyed when she gets out of the shower, she slips on her pajamas, and gets into bed.

When Rose wakes up the next day she walks out of the bedroom, going into the living room starting to pick at her breakfast, she slept right through Inna coming inside. Rose rubs at her eye, putting a piece of fruit in her mouth, before walking to the window. The sun was setting and she sighs picking a book off the bookshelf, sitting back down on the sofa, starting to read wondering when Dimitri would come by.

Rose gets through most of her book, before deciding that Dimitri wasn’t going to come see her tonight. She tries not to be angry with a woman that she’s never met, but she can’t help it. She knows Galina is the reason Dimitri’s not here with her right now, she’s the reason Rose can’t come out of her cage. She also wanted her dead, according to Dimitri. Rose thinks about killing her first, but she doesn’t have anything she could use to kill her, then she thinks Dimitri might be angry with her if she does.

Dimitri comes by the next night, and Rose wants to smack the smug look he has right off his face. She settles for the silent treatment. Dimitri sits on the sofa watching Rose as she stands in the corner, looking outside “You’re going to ignore me all night” he says.

Rose wants to answer him, but that would defeat the purpose of the silent treatment. She stares out the window crossing her arms over her chest, angry with herself that she can’t even go two hours being angry with Dimitri.

“Rose” he says crossing his legs, making himself more comfortable.

Rose snaps her head around, glaring at Dimitri, “Don’t say my name like that.”

“Come over here, and talk to me” is what he says.

“Why? You didn’t have any interest in talking to me yesterday, after you said you would come see me” she says.

Dimitri lets out an annoyed sigh, “I’ve already explained this to you Roza” he says.

“Fucking bitch” she grumbles.

“Stop being so jealous” he says, “and come over here.”

Rose walks over to Dimitri, and she has her hands on her hips, “Maybe I should be like you, it would at least level the playing field.”

Dimitri narrows his eyes at Rose, “You watch what comes out of that filthy mouth of yours.”

Rose purses her lips, “I’m tired of coming in second to her” she says, “I thought you loved me.”

“I do” he says, “That’s why I want to keep you alive.”

“Are you sure that’s why?” she scoffs, “To me it looks like I’m just here for you to play with, and feed off of.”

“My mother always said never play with your food” he says, and Dimitri’s hand is around her neck, pinning her down against the coffee table, kneeling down on the floor.

Rose bites the inside of her cheek, trying not to show her fear, she swallows hard, looking up into Dimitri’s red irises. Rose cries out, arching her back off the table, when Dimitri’s fangs sink into her neck, and her body is floating, and tingling in pleasure. When Dimitri pulls back Rose’s eyes flutter, and her head is still spinning.

“You’re leaving again” Rose says, when she sees Dimitri moving toward the door.

“Not yet” he says glancing back at her, watching Rose sit up on the table.

“You’re not?” she asks.

“Later” he says, “When we come back.”

“Back?” she asks, “back from where?”

“I thought you might want to go for a walk” he says.

Rose looks at Dimitri still feeling lightheaded, but she nods, “outside.”

“You can’t leave my side when we go” he says.

Rose nods, “I won’t” she promises.

“I know you won’t.”

Rose changes into jeans and a loose tank top that Dimitri had brought her a couple of weeks ago, she pulls her hair up into a ponytail as she steps out of the bedroom walking over to Dimitri, who’s taping away at his phone, she knows who he’s talking to as she walks over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, “Leave that bitch alone when you’re with me” she says pressing her body against his back, nuzzling against the soft fabric of his t-shirt.

“What have I told you about that dirty mouth of yours” he says, looking over his shoulder at her.

Rose steps away looking at Dimitri, “You promised to take me outside.”

“Let’s go” he says unlocking the door, taking her hand leading her outside.

Rose can smell the scent of the grass, and the scent of fresh water, she can’t wait to get outside and see the stars, and the moon, and fireflies, or whatever the hell they had out here, she was glad to see more than the four walls of that stupid apartment.

Dimitri takes Rose downstairs to the courtyard, and she brightens he can see it the way her demeanor changes. He ponders her for a moment watching the wheels turn in her head, he wonders how long he could keep her in the tiny apartment she really wasn’t a cat after all. He pushes the thought from his mind, walking down a hill with her.

Rose stays quiet most of the time, mostly thinking about how pretty this place might look during the day, but she knows she’d never be able to see that. Hell Dimitri only sent food for her, she could eat with her hand, or a spoon because she couldn’t be trusted with silver wear.

When Dimitri brings Rose back to her tiny apartment, Rose is content being where she’s at for the time being. She tells herself she can endure this until Dimitri says it’s safe for her, even though she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be scared of, but maybe that’s because she’s never seen this place without Dimitri, and with him she’s not scared of anything, even those soulless red eyes.

“Are you going to stay?” she asks, pulling the elastic out of her hair, letting it fall into her face.

Dimitri looks at Rose, “maybe for a little while.”

“Maybe?” she asks, looking over at Dimitri, “I wish you would stay.”

“I can’t” she says, “I have things to take care of.”

Rose looks at Dimitri, glaring at him before turning away, “of course you do” she says, “What does she want you to do?”

Dimitri looks at Rose, “Rose” he says.

Rose sighs, “Fine” she says, “I’ll stop asking.”

“Soon Roza” he says, and Rose only nods, going to her bed sitting down.

Rose manages to keep her temper at bay over the next few weeks, the less she thinks about Galina the more she comes to terms with the way things are now. It’s almost four months after he kidnaped her that Rose stops being so hostile with Dimitri, and she only gets angry with him when he doesn’t visit, then he’s got a lot to make up for. This was one of those nights.

Dimitri sits on the bed, sitting down next to Rose, gently rubbing his hand over her knee. Rose pushes his hand away, crossing her legs.

“C’mon” he says, “don’t do that.”

“You know I hate being alone like that” she says.

“I’ll make it up to you” he says, “Come on.”

Rose turns to Dimitri, “You can’t just use sex to make me forgive you every time” she says.

“I know” he says, “Sometimes I bite you, I always wonder if you like that more” he says, nuzzling against Rose’s neck, letting his fangs brush against her skin, “Take your shirt off” he says, pushing the hem up.

“No” she says, pushing him away, “Stop it.”

Dimitri looks at Rose with piercing eyes, “I won’t stop it” he says, “and you’ll do as I say Roza.”

Rose looks back at Dimitri, “What are you going to do to me?”

Dimitri has Rose pinned down against the bed, and before her brain can process what’s happening, Dimitri’s fangs are penetrating her flesh, and he’s drinking from her body, and Rose is in ecstasy. Dimitri drinks longer than he should, he pulls back, when he feels her pulse start to weaken against his tongue. Dimitri gently runs his fingers through her hair, and her body tingles.

“Touch me, it’s been days” is what she says, when she regains her ability to speak.

“Later” he says, “I took a lot of blood from you Roza. Rest, I’ll be back for you in an hour.”

“Then we’ll be together?” she asks, turning over on the bed.

“Yes, we’ll be together.”

Rose lays down on the bed for an hour, sitting up on the bed when she hears the lock turn, she couldn’t be happier.

“Rose” he says walking into the bedroom, “Oh good you’re up.”

Rose nods, “I’m happy to see you.”

“I know you are” he says, “come” he says, holding his hand out for her.

Rose takes his hand, “Where are we going?” she asks.

“To be together” he says, leading her outside.

Rose looks dumbly at Dimitri, “Together? Like together?” she asks.

Dimitri looks at Rose, as he locks the apartment, “I’ll have to remember not to take so much blood next time” he says, “seems like you’ve lost some intelligence.”

Rose looks at Dimitri, “but you’re serious?”

“I am” he says, taking her hand walking her down the stairs.

Rose walks with Dimitri, taking in the night air, glancing around, “Where are we going?”

“You already asked me that” he says.

“I didn’t get a real answer” she says.

Dimitri doesn’t answer her, but walks across the courtyard.

Rose stares eyes wide, “We’re going there?”

Dimitri nods, “I told you, we were going to be together.”

“But” she starts, still staring as he walks her toward the estate.

Dimitri sighs annoyed, “She’s not here she’s not even in the country.”

“Oh” is what Rose says when she’s standing in front of the doors to the estate.

Dimitri opens the door, “now I don’t want to hear you mention, or even think about her, because it’s just me and you now.”

“Just us?” she asks curiously as Dimitri takes her inside.

“It’s a good thing that you’re beautiful” is how he responds.

Rose looks over at Dimitri, wondering if she’d done something to upset him, she thinks it’s best if she stays quiet.

Dimitri pulls Rose in close to him, “it’s just us now” he says, leaning down kissing her lips. Rose kisses him back and a smile forms on her lips.

“I love you” she says, jumping up onto Dimitri, and he wraps her legs around his waist, carrying her upstairs as he kisses her.

When Rose wakes up the next day, she stretches out on the bed, sitting up looking around the room, slipping on her shirt before walking into the bathroom. Rose sees some clothes folded neatly on the counter. It’s a dress, and she is curious. Rose turns on the shower, letting the water run for a minute, before she undresses, getting into the shower. The gold, and the glass, and the tiles, everything is so elegant. She closes her eyes, letting herself relax into the warm water.

Rose rinses her hair out, wiping the water from her eyes, and she gasps, when she sees Dimitri standing in the bathroom, she hadn’t even heard him come in.

“Did I scare you?” he asks, and she can see his fangs, when he smiles.

“Yeah” she says, looking down at herself, turning away slightly.

“Relax” he says, “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Rose looks at Dimitri, “What are you doing?”

“It’s our first night together” he says, “I wanted it to be memorable.”

This is something she could never forget. “What are you talking about?” she asks.

“Don’t worry about it” he says, “just get dressed, and you’ll see,” Dimitri leaves Rose alone, as he heads back down to finish what he had started.

Rose finishes her shower, getting dressed like she was told before she walks back into the bedroom. She steps out into the hallway, looking down the giant spiral staircase, the house seamed so empty, and big. She walks down the hall, walking into one of the open rooms, walking around a desk looking around when Dimitri walks up behind her.

“What are you looking for?” he asks.

Rose turns around looking back at Dimitri, “Nothing” she says, “just exploring. This place is huge” she says.

“It is” he says, “There’s over twenty rooms.”

“Do that many people live here?” she asks curiously, leaning back against the desk.

Dimitri shakes his head, “right now it’s just me, you and a couple of humans.”

“What?” she asks.

“Which part of that was confusing, the part about me and you, or the part about the humans?”

“Uh, a little bit of both” she says, “but mostly the part about me and you.”

“Human can do things for us, during the day, and it’s a good idea to keep them close by” he says, “And as for us” he says crossing the room, “I mean just what I said.”

“There’s no one else here but us and a few of your humans?” she asks.

Dimitri nods, “Galina and her two errand boys are away, and it’s just us for now” he says.

“How long?” her curiosity gets the better of her.

“A while” is the answer she gets, “So you’re going to have to get used to being around me.”

Rose looks at Dimitri the corner of her lips curl into a smile, “You mean that?”

And Dimitri smiles, because it’s just so silly, “Of course I mean that” he says, “Unlike you I don’t have a chronic lying problem” he says, standing in front of the younger girl.

“I don’t have a chronic lying problem” she says.

“You pick and choose what you tell me, and it’s the same thing” he says.

Rose looks up at Dimitri, “I thought this was a special day, don’t you want to kiss me?”

“I could kiss you whenever I want” he says, leaning down, letting his lips brush against hers.

“You haven’t in days” she says, “and now here you are teasing me.”

“Patience, I said later.”

“Yeah, yeah” she says, pushing herself off the table, “Later” she says, walking by Dimitri going back to the hallway looking over the railing, “Do I at least get to use silver wear now?”

Dimitri smiles back at her, showing his fangs, “Not a chance in hell, my dear.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think so” she shrugs, “but it was worth a try.”

Dimitri walks up behind Rose, placing his hands on her waist, “I know what I want to do.”

Rose smirks, turning to look at him, “Patience” is what she says.

“I get what I want when I want it Rose” he says.

Rose nods, “All the time” she says, “but I want to try something different, I think you’d like it too, but it’s not time yet, is it?” she smiles, “I want to go outside.”

“What is it?” he asks.

“No” she smiles, “take me outside” she says, walking toward the stairs.

“Roza” he says.

“Humor me” she says, “take the living girl outside for a couple of hours.”

Dimitri looks back at Rose, “why should I? I could just make you do what I want.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” she smiles.

Dimitri looks at Rose, wondering if she was always this way, and of course she was, he could never forget anything about her, she was one of a kind.

“Okay” he says, “Let’s go.”

Rose sits down by the riverbank, watching the current enjoying the cool air as it flows through her hair. She sits for a while, letting her mind wander. Rose gets lost in her thoughts, not even realizing that Dimitri was talking to her.

“Rose” Dimitri says again, looking over at her.

Rose looks up at Dimitri, blinking back at him.

“Roza.”

“Yeah?” she answers “What’s going on?”

“You tell me” he says.

“Oh nothing” she says.

“Nothing sure had your attention” he says.

Rose smiles, “who’s jealous now?”

Dimitri rolls his eyes, “Are you done here?”

“Almost” she says, “I was thinking about the sun” she says looking over at him, “Will I ever be able to see the sun again?”

Dimitri looks back at her, “One day” he says, “and one day, you’ll be trusted to go out on your own.”

“You would trust me if we were the same” she says.

“Stop it Rose” he says, “That’s not what I want for you.”

“What do you want from me?” she asks looking back at him.

Dimitri gets up, holding his hand out for her, “Let me show you.”

Rose looks up at Dimitri, smiling as she takes his hand. Rose walks back to the mansion with Dimitri, and he takes her inside.

“Are you ever going to let me have fun again?” she asks.

Dimitri looks at Rose narrowing his eyes at her, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying being locked away isn’t any fun.”

“You’re not anymore” he says, “I told you, this is for us” he says looking around the giant foyer.

“Yeah, but if I’m not allowed out of here it’s pretty much the same thing” she says, “I’m not a fairy tale princess, at least I don’t want to be.”

Dimitri pulls her close to him in a swift movement that catches her off guard, she stumbles over her feet, landing against Dimitri’s hardened form, looking up into his eyes.

“You’re already a princess to me” he says holding her close against him.

Rose doesn’t know what to say, she settles for a kiss. She leans up capturing his lips in hers, letting her arms wrap around his waist, as he kisses her back.

Dimitri kisses her, his fingers moving through her hair, holding her against him, “Roza.”

Rose looks up at Dimitri with desperation in her eyes, “please don’t make me wait anymore.”

Dimitri picks up Rose, and her legs wrap instinctively around his waist as he carries her up the stairs, to his bedroom. Dimitri’s fangs brush against the inside of her lower lip.

Rose gasps as she finds herself pressed hard against the mattress, and her hands are pulling at Dimitri’s shirt. The shirt comes off, and Rose is left staring at all of his pale glory, those muscles that she remembered, are paper white now, and she wants nothing more than to feel them.

Rose’s hands brush against the well-defined muscles, and a shiver runs down her spine. Rose lets a low moan escape her throat, as Dimitri’s body presses flush against hers, keeping her pinned down to the bed. Her hands reach for his pants, quickly pushing them down, and Dimitri practically rips the shirt off of her body.

Dimitri looks at Rose drinking in her appearance, letting his hands touch at her warm skin. Rose pushes his hands down her torso, until his hands are under her skirt, touching at her lacy panties.

Rose lifts her hips, waiting for Dimitri to pull down her underwear, and he does, he pulls them off tossing them onto the floor. Rose moans when Dimitri’s fingers thrust into her, and her back arches off of the bed.

“Are you going to fuck me tonight?” she asks finally when Dimitri rips the skirt off of her, and she’s naked.

“That’s the plan.”

Rose quickly tugs on his boxers, arousal taking over her brain, she’d waited months for this. Heavy petting, and cool fingers sliding into her pussy on occasion could only last a girl so long.

Dimitri pulls Rose up sitting her in his lap, and he kisses at her neck, sucking hard enough to bruise, and she moans.

“Please don’t make me wait” she breathes, running her hands through his hair.

Rose gasps as she’s pushed down onto the bed, his fingers sliding into her wet sex once more, “fuck” she groans, “I’m ready.”

“So needy” he says.

She groans, “Yeah well you’ve made me go without sex for months” she breathes, “I don’t want to wait anymore.”

“You’ll get it when I’m ready to give it to you” is how he responds.

Rose bites her lip looking up at the colder man, she wants to protest, but instead she nods. Rose cries out, as Dimitri’s fingers thrust into her, and she’s gripping the sheets, crying out as she comes.

“That was quick” Rose can sense the smirk on Dimitri’s lips, as his fingers slip from her wet vagina, and she’s embarrassed for a moment.

Rose catches her breath looking over at Dimitri with flushed cheeks, “I’m ready for you” is what she says.

“You’ve been ready for me for months now” he says, wrapping his hands around her thin thighs, pulling her down the bed, closer to him.

Rose stares up at him, letting her legs fall apart, as Dimitri lifts her hips slightly, pressing his hardened cock against her wet opening, and she squeezes her eyes shut, as he enters her.

“Does that hurt?” he asks curiously, letting his hand press against her lower back.

“No” she answers, opening her eyes wrapping her legs around his waist, “It’s just been a while.”

And Dimitri snaps his hips forward, causing Rose to cry out, arcing her back clear off the bed, and a moan of pleasure falling off of her lips as Dimitri settles into a steady rhythm. Dimitri’s back arches, as the thrusts into his young lover, and Rose moans. There was something so different about this than the last time they had slept together. When they had both been alive.

Dimitri leans down, letting his fangs brush against her skin, and her skin turns red blood rising to the surface, but not breaking the surface.

“Fuck” she groans, giving into the pleasure for a moment before her body tenses, and she’s looking up at Dimitri, with a subtle fear in her eyes. The look in her eye is almost enough to turn him off and he stares back at her.

“Don’t do that again” she says.

“Do what?” he asks, “I know you like it.”

She did like it, hell she loved it, she’d had bites almost every day from him for the last four months, she was an addict. But there was still something in the back of her mind that screamed blood whore the second his fangs brushed against her skin in this most intimate moment.

“I’m not a blood whore” she says next.

Dimitri’s fingers grip onto her hips, surely leaving a bruise, a sinister smile on his lips and his fangs were showing.

“Rose, let’s be honest,” he starts, “You’ve been a blood whore for months now. But it’s all just fun. Remember?”

Rose looks up at him, only just starting to notice the way his fingers were making in imprint on her skin, “I’m not” she insists, “I don’t want to be.”

Dimitri lets out a small laugh, it’s almost as cold as his skin against her, “Just because I’ve never fucked you when I’ve taken blood from you, doesn’t mean you’re not a whore for my bite” he smirks, “Tell me you don’t like my bite.”

Rose stays silent, that would be a lie, and she knew how Dimitri felt about her lies.

“That’s what I thought” is what he says, before he snaps his hips down harder, and Rose forgets the word blood whore.

Rose moans as Dimitri thrusts faster into her, and again her orgasm rises quickly, much too fast for her approval. She grips onto the bedsheets, Dimitri’s name on her lips as she comes, “Fuck Dimitri” he moans.

Dimitri doesn’t stop, he thrusts his hips faster into her, bruising her hips with his fingers, and Rose was thoroughly impressed with his new strigoi stamina. She knew before they even started that he wasn’t going to stop until he was finished with her. Rose had come two more times, before his release was even close. And he groans, grinding his hips down against hers when he comes sending a shudder of electricity through Rose’s body, sending her over the edge once more, “Fuck” she curses, her fingernails scratching at his back.

Rose pulls the sheet up over her naked form and Dimitri is laying down next to her, his fingers find their way into her soft hair, and he’s quiet. Too quiet for Rose.

“That was worth the wait.”

Dimitri looks at Rose, “just how I imagined our first night together.”

Rose turns looking over at Dimitri, “You’re going to stay tonight?” she asks curiously.

“Yes” he says, “This is what I mean when I said we would finally be together.”

Rose smiles, she’d only thought about this for four months now, sleeping in the same bed with Dimitri. Actually she’d been waiting for this for much, much longer than that.

“Our first night together” she says happily.

“The first of many” he says, and then his fangs are piercing her skin, drinking blood from her veins, and Rose could swear she was having another orgasm.

Rose wakes up the next day with a shiver running down her spine, she turns over grabbing more of the blanket, and she finds herself smiling when she finds herself pressed against Dimitri’s hardened form. Dimitri watches as Rose pushes her way into his arms, and he gives in letting her lay on top of his chest, and Rose falls back asleep.

When Rose wakes for the second time she’s alone, she sits up on the bed stretching her limbs out, looking around for a moment before she gets out of bed, her muscles are sore. Rose walks into the bathroom, turning on the shower, starting to brush her teeth, when Dimitri appears in the mirror and she gasps, startled.

“Good morning” he says watching her in the mirror.

Rose glances out the window, it’s dark but technically this would be morning for the living dead, “Where did go you?” she asks sticking her tooth bush in her mouth.

Dimitri stands in the door frame, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes wandering over her naked form, “I thought you might like some pancakes.”

Rose looks at Dimitri curiously in the mirror for a moment, before she spits into the sink, “You made pancakes?”

“Is that so strange?”

Rose laughs because it kind of is, “I figured you had vampire business to attend to.”

Dimitri looks at Rose, letting his eyes watch her breasts in the mirror, “I do” he says, “which is why I’ll be back later.”

“You’re leaving me here alone again?” she asks turning around to look at him.

“It’s not the first time you’ve been alone” he says, “and it won’t be the last.”

Rose can’t help but frown at the statement, that’s not what she had in mind when she pictured being together with Dimitri, “but what about our first day together?” she asks.

Dimitri can’t help but roll his eyes, “last night was great, but now I have work to do” he says, “I’ll see you in a few hours” he says.

Rose sighs, “Okay” she says, “can we do something together when you come back?”

“Sure” he says, heading for the door.

Rose stares after him, “I love you” she says with a frown on her lips.

Dimitri stops at the door turning to look at Rose, “I know” and then he was gone.

Rose takes a shower, trying not to think about how this was going to start to feel like her tiny secretive apartment. Rose washes her hair, making sure to rinse out all of the blood from her hair. When Rose steps out of the shower, she dries off, slipping on her new silk bathrobe which Dimitri had provided for her, before she sits at her tiny table next to the window, starting to eat her pancakes.

When Dimitri comes back it’s after noon, well after midnight, and Rose practically jumps up when she hears the lock turning on the door, she’s so excited.

“Hello Rose” Dimitri says, closing the door when he comes inside, striding over to her on the bed.

“Hi” she grins, looking up at him, and he kisses her.  Rose kisses him back, letting her hands touch at the cotton of his tee, unable to stop smiling.

“Ready for some quality time together?” And Rose smiles nodding.

Rose pulls her hair down from her bun, running her fingers through it quickly, “I missed you.”

“I have a present for you” he says, and her smiles brightens.

“What is it?” she asks.

Dimitri sits down on the bed, pulling her into his lap, gently pushing her hair down her back, away from her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. Rose’s body tenses anticipating the bite. What she didn’t expect is for Dimitri to slip a ring onto her ring finger, her eyes stare in amazement it was a beautiful white gold ring, in the shape of a rose, with black diamonds lining the petals.

“A Rose, for my Rose” he says, and Rose just smiles, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“It’s gorgeous” she grins, “Where did you get it?”

“That’s a secret” he says, pressing his lips against her neck, kissing softly.

Rose is so distracted she almost misses the initial bite, then the pleasure rolls through her body, and she’s clinging onto Dimitri, as he drinks from her neck, and her eyes flutter when it’s over.

“I love you” she says, clinging to him suddenly weakened from the bite.

“You’re so beautiful” he says, laying down on the bed with Rose, letting his hands slip underneath her thin robe, touching at her stomach, he couldn’t help but imagine how much more beautiful she would be if he’d just turn her. When she turns and looks at him, her eyes sparkle, and he remembers why he’s keeping her alive.

It’s only two weeks later that Dimitri is laying down on the bed with Rose, and she has her head on his chest, her body heat feeling hot against his cold skin.

“I miss the sun” she says.

Dimitri looks down at her, gently stroking her hair, inhaling the scent of lavender from her hair, “We could go somewhere where it’s warm at night” he says.

Rose looks up at Dimitri, watching his eyes for a moment, “That’s not the same thing” she says.

Dimitri looks at Rose, and he can’t help but smile at the way her lower lip pokes out when she pouts at him, he glances down, feeling his chest heat up underneath Rose’s fingertips, “one day” he says, taking her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.


	2. When it's not worth dying for

It’s a month later when Dimitri finds himself in the middle of a line of questioning from Rose. Rose wanders right into his office. Before she can blink Rose finds herself pinned back against the door that she just walked though, a tiny squeak escaping her lips.

“What are you doing in here Rose?” he asks looking down into her eyes.

“I-I was looking for you” she says.

“I said I would come find you, when I finished working” he says.

Her curiosity gets the better of her, “What are you working on?”

Dimitri looks back at Rose, he’s angry with her for interrupting his work, “Rose go back to your room.”

Rose frowns, “I don’t want to, I’m tired of being alone.”

“Then go find Inna” he says, “I’m busy.”

“Doing what?” she asks looking over his shoulder trying to see what he was doing in office.

Dimitri grasps onto Rose’s jaw, forcing her to look at him, “if I didn’t answer the first time, that means I don’t want you to know.”

Rose looks back at Dimitri, “Your fingers are cold” she says, feeling the pressure of his fingertips against her neck.

“You’ve never complained about them before” he says watching her for a moment before letting her go, “I will come find you, when I finish this.”

Rose looks back at Dimitri, “Will you come play a game with me?”

Dimitri looks back at Rose half shocked, half concerned that she might be stupid, “I’m working Rose, I can’t play with you right now.”

Rose looks at Dimitri, “Please?”

In that moment Dimitri isn’t sure what came over himself, as he looks back at the younger girl he’s searching his brain for an explanation for why he does what he does.

“Go” he says ushering her down the hall before, “This meeting is over.”

“We weren’t finished Belikov.”

“We are now I expect you remember where the door is” he says.

“That wasn’t part of the deal Dimitri.”

“We haven’t made a deal yet” he says, “it’s going to have to be another time.”

It’s almost three weeks later when Rose finds herself alone in the mansion. Dimitri has gone out, business he said. Rose asked him what he was doing before he left, the answer she got was “someone has to pay for your latest shopping spree.”

Dimitri had let Rose pick out some clothes online last week, she bought new shoes, four pairs to be exact, new tops, five pairs of new jeans and an assortment of skirts and dresses, those Dimitri had some input on. The short ones and ones that had the teeny tiny straps, and Dimitri’s favorites were the strapless ones, he bought two extra ones of those for her.

Rose wanders down into the basement flicking on the light as she walks down the dark stairs. Flicking the light on stopping when she finds herself in front of the weapons case.

“What are you doing down here?”

Rose turns around looking back at Dimitri, “nothing.”

“You’re not supposed to be down here” he says narrowing his eyes at the younger girl.

“I was just walking around” she says.

“I’ve told you several times you’re not to come through that door up there” he states.

“I wasn’t doing anything bad” she insists

Dimitri glares back at the younger girl, “go to your room.”

“But” she protests.

“Rose, did it ever occur to you that I didn’t want you down here for a reason.”

Rose nods, “but- “

“But you just like to see me angry?” he asks

Rose looks at Dimitri, shaking her head, “No” she mumbles.

“You’re making me angry” he says.

Rose stares back at her boyfriend “What do you think I’m going to kill you?” she asks, “That’s my silver stake in that case. You think I’m capable of something like that?”

“I’ve seen firsthand, what you’re capable of Roza” he says.

Rose frowns, “You think I would hurt you?” she asks.

“I know you wouldn’t do that Roza” he says.

“Good” she says, “because I love you.”

Dimitri presses his lips into a fine line, looking back at Rose, “Yeah I know, I’ll deal with you later.”

“I don’t want to be dealt with” she says.

“Go Rose” he says raising his voice.

Rose looks back at Dimitri before quietly nodding going up to her room.

When Dimitri comes into the bedroom, Rose is laying on the bed, watching TV. Dimitri sits down on the bed next to her, his fingers gently stroking her hair.

Rose leans into his touch, looking over at him, “Hi.”

“You’re still in trouble” he says.

“Oh” she frowns, “I’m sorry.”

Dimitri nods, “I know, which is why I’m not angry anymore” he says.

“You’re not?” she asks.

“I don’t want you to get hurt” he says.

“I know how to protect myself, I’m hardly worried about hurting myself” she says.

“Really” he says, “you can hardly keep up with the humans.”

“What are you talking about?” she asks.

“You’re weak” he says, “look at yourself.”

“I’m fine” she says.

“You’ve been giving blood every day for months” he says.

“So” she says.

“So” he counters, “you are weak, your reflexes are not what they used to be.”

“I can still protect myself.”

“You’re so stubborn” he says a smile playing on his lips, “I don’t care Rose, that you’re addicted- “

“I’m not an addict!” Rose protests, and Dimitri holds his hand up silencing her.

“I want you to be with me” he says.

“I don’t have plans to leave you Dimitri” she says looking back at him.

Dimitri looks back at Rose, conflict racking his brain as he says, “I care for you.”

“Don’t worry” Rose says, looking back at Dimitri, “I’ll keep your secret” she says climbing over into his lap, wrapping her arms around his body, laying her head on his shoulder.

Dimitri looks down at Rose for a moment before he lets his hand gently stroke her hair, holding her close against him, “I” he starts but stops himself.

“Hmm?” Rose mumbles, laying contently against Dimitri’s hardened form.

Dimitri doesn’t respond to her, and Rose gasps, when Dimitri bites down on her neck, a blissful smile crosses her lips when he retracts his fangs.

After six months in the mansion, Rose starts to get curious when she’s seen nothing but Dimitri and humans, she’s wondered before, but never asked by the time she always thought to ask she was thoroughly distracted by one thing, or another.

Rose slips out of the bedroom during the night, well it was daytime early morning for humans. She walks down the hallway, staring out a big window, the sun is up and her judgment is slightly compromised from the months of blood giving. She walks downstairs she’s in her pajamas, when she walks out the front door of the estate, closing the door behind her. The warm sun hits her skin and she’s in heaven. Rose walks down the grassy hill, walking toward the river where Dimitri would take her. She sits down, letting her body absorb as much sun as she could handle.

When Rose walks back up to the mansion, she stays quiet as she climbs back into bed, Dimitri doesn’t ask where she’s been, he knows what she’s been doing; she knows that she’s going to be in trouble for that, but she doesn’t care right now.

When Rose wakes up she’s not alone, she liked days when she didn’t wake up alone, but she knows why she’s not alone today, and that doesn’t make her happy.

“You’re going to make me have to put another lock on the door, a lock you can’t get through.”

Rose sighs, “Why?” she asks, “You said it yourself, it’s just the two of us, and the humans, why am I still not allowed to go outside by myself?”

“Because you’re not” he says.

“Is it still dangerous? You should know I’m not going to try to run away by now” she says.

“It’s always dangerous” he says, “with or without Galina here.”

Rose looks over at Dimitri, “Where is she?” she asks.

“I told you, she’s taking care of something” he says.

“It’s been nearly six months since you brought me inside” she says.

“Yes” he nods.

“And she’s still not back?”

Dimitri narrows his eyes at her, “Why are you asking about her?” he asks.

Rose looks back at Dimitri, “I just thought she was the reason I couldn’t go out on my own.”

“I told you, I would allow you to go out when the time was right” he says, “That doesn’t mean sneak out.”

“Okay” she says giving up, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t do it again” he says, getting up from the chair, heading for the door.

Rose frowns, “Where are you going?” she asks, “Is this part of my punishment?”

Dimitri stops, looking over his shoulder at her, “Trust me Rose, you’ll know when I’m punishing you.”

“Where are you going?” she asks again.

“I have work to do” he says, “Just like every other day, this isn’t a new thing Rose.”

Rose sighs looking down, “okay” she says, and without warning Dimitri’s at her side, and her neck is at his lips. A small surprised squeak escapes her lips, when Dimitri bites down, but the chemicals start to take over her body, and Rose forgets the argument.

Dimitri makes sure to lay her gently on the bed when he’s finished with her, gently stroking her hair, “Until later.”

Rose just nods smiling dumbly as she watches him leave, hearing the door lock behind him.

Rose lets herself bask in her high for a while longer, before she gets up going to take a shower, and get dressed for the day. Rose steps out of the bathroom, and finds a girl, about her age sitting in one of the chairs, and she wonders who she is, and what Dimitri wants her to do for her.

“Hi” Rose says, pulling her robe tighter around her.

“Hello” she says, she has a thick Russian accent, but at least she spoke English unlike Inna.

“Who are you?” she asks, expecting that since she was in her bedroom, she already knew who she was.

“I’m Alicia” she says, “we” she says narrowing her eyes at Rose getting a better look at her, “spend time together.”

Rose looks at her curiously, “What are you talking about?” she asks.

“Master Belikov says to make nice” she says.

And Rose is glaring at her now, “I don’t need a babysitter” she says, “you should go” she says.

When Alicia doesn’t leave Rose just gets angry, she sits down on the bed, planning on ignoring her for until Dimitri came back, and then she planned on ignoring him.

When Dimitri comes in the door a few hours later, and Alicia leaves Rose stands arms crossed over her chest, “A fucking babysitter” she says, “Real mature Dimitri.”

“She’s not a babysitter” he says.

“Then why is she here” she says, “I don’t need someone to watch me and make sure I don’t get into trouble, that’s what I have Inna for” she says.

Dimitri moves to the bed, sitting down looking at Rose, “I need Inna” he says.

Rose stares at Dimitri, “For what?” she asks.

“Rose be nice to her” he says, “You might need her one day.”

“Why the hell would I- “and Dimitri’s hand is wrapped around Rose’s wrist, and he’s pulled her down into his lap.

“Don’t question me again Rose” he says gently pushing his hand underneath her shirt, “you won’t like what happens if you do” and she’s staring back at his fangs, and it sends a shudder down her spine.

“I’m not scared of you” she says, looking back at him.

Dimitri smiles, “There you go with your lies again Rose.”

Rose could hate him for that, but she’s staring at his fangs and all she can think is how she wants him to bite her.

“I’m sorry” she says, “I’ll play nice.”

“Oh I know you will” he says happily, gently stroking her hair away from her face, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

Rose kisses Dmitri back, letting herself be swept away by his presence.

“Another night together” he says, and Rose smiles.

“Watch an old movie with me” she says, looking up at him.

“Okay” he says, “but just so you know, I don’t plan on watching much of the movie.”

Rose looks at Dimitri, “Something else you had in mind?”

“Find out for yourself.”

It’s late and Rose is starting to get tired, she looks over at Dimitri “We haven’t had any fun yet” she says laying back against Dimitri’s body.

“What is it that you want Rose?” he asks, his hands finding their way under her night gown, her skin warm against his fingers.

“Everything” she says, and Dimitri’s hand cups her breast, teasing her.

Rose’s breath hitches, and Dimitri’s hand finds its way into her silky panties, “bite me please.”

Dimitri just smiles, “Not tonight.”

Rose turns around eyes narrow at the paler man, “What?”

“I don’t feel like it tonight” is what he says.

“You’ve bitten me every day for months, sometimes against my will” she says, “but not tonight?” she asks feeling confused.

“Not tonight” he says.

Rose stares at Dimitri, “You’ve been feeding on someone else” she says.

“What have I told you about that kind of jealousy Rose.”

“It’s the only reason you wouldn’t want to” she says.

“No” he says, “but it is my best opportunity to keep you in line.”

Rose stares eyes wide, “You’re doing this to punish me?”

“I bet you won’t question my authority again.”

The addict inside her was screaming, willing to do anything for the rush of endorphins that came from his intoxicating bite. This was the longest she’d gone without a bite from him, in almost a year, it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on anything.

“I think it’s time for bed” he says, pulling the heavy blanket back for Rose. Rose stares at him, but does what he asks, getting underneath wondering if he was just kidding, and if he was going to wait until she was on her way to sleep to sneak in a bite.

Dimitri slides underneath the blankets letting Rose lay her body against his, and he looks down into her brown eyes, as she stares back up at him, he can see the desire burning within her.

Rose lays her head down against Dimitri’s chest, letting her hand rest on his cold chest and her fingertips are on fire against his skin she closes her eyes.

When Rose wakes up in the morning, she’s happily surprised to find that she’s in the same position as when she went to bed, Dimitri laying underneath her and she wants to enjoy this moment.

Rose gently rubs her eyes, it was still early, the sun was still up she sighs, and turns over on the bed grabbing onto an extra pillow, cuddling for comfort. A smile appears on her lips when Dimitri’s arm wraps around her waist and his body is against her back.

When Rose wakes up a couple of hours later, she sits up on the bed, stretching her tight muscles.

“Dimitri” she smiles, leaning back against him when he wraps his arms around her waist, sitting behind her kissing the base of her neck gently brushing her hair away from her neck.

“Now where do you think you’re going?” he says, letting his hands run against her naked thigh.

Rose smiles, “Nowhere?” she offers.

“You got that right” he says, and he body tenses as his fangs pierce her skin, and her mind turns into a light haze. Dimitri gently strokes her thigh sucking from her neck, before he pulls back, and Rose feeling lightheaded, leans back against his body.

“Roza, not being able to bite you is punishment for me too” he says gently kissing her bruised neck.

“I’m sorry” she says, “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“I know” he says, “and you’re going to make it up to me by spending the whole day with me.”

Rose smiles, “I love you so much” she says, turning to kiss his lips, and Dimitri kisses her back.

Dimitri’s hand is underneath Rose’s nightgown, as she kisses him and Rose slips down into his lap. Rose ignores the annoying buzzing letting herself sink deeper into the kiss, as Dimitri’s hands explore her body. Dimitri’s hand is cupped around her breast, when she lets out a whine.

“Dimitri?” she asks, when he breaks the kiss, and Rose lets out an annoyed sigh, because he’s still touching her breasts, and she’s sitting right in his lap, and he’s staring down at his phone, “you can’t give me ten minutes?”

Dimitri glances up at her, “I have to answer that” he says, “Do you want me to continue?”

Rose narrows her eyes at him, “No” she says, pushing him away, “I don’t want you touching me, while you’re talking to that bitch” she says, getting off the bed, “You promised.”

“It’s work, and I’ll make it up to you” he says, getting up stepping out of the room; Rose rolls her eyes.

“Hey, when do I get to have a cell phone?”

Dimitri looks at her, “When you can be trusted with one” and he shuts the door behind him.

Rose goes into the bathroom shutting the door behind her, letting out an annoyed breath, as she runs the water. She slips off her nightgown before stepping into the shower, letting her muscles relax under the warm water.

When Dimitri walks into the bathroom, Rose pushes her wet hair out of her face, looking at Dimitri through the frosted glass.

“I don’t remember inviting you” she says when Dimitri slips into the shower with her.

“Wanted to give you a good start to your day” he says pressing himself against Rose’s back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“You think you can sex your way out of anything” she says.

“Is it not working?” he asks.

Rose glares “No” she says, “You promised you would make up the last time, with this time, and you can’t even do that.”

“What do you want me to do?” he asks.

“Pay attention to me, and stop dropping me the second someone who isn’t me gives you something to do” she says, “I’m not a second choice.”

“You’re my first choice” he says, kissing her neck.

“Don’t bite me again” she says, “Not until you keep your promise.”

“Biting you makes you feel good” he says.

“You’re such an ass” she says, “She’s not even in the same country and you’re still kissing her feet.”

Dimitri looks at Rose, “Play nice Rose” he says.

“When have you ever known me to play nice” she says, “Now leave, I need to wash my hair.”

“Roza.”

“I don’t have anything else to say” she says, “you can either start making me a priority, or I can have one of your minions turn me- “

“If anyone is going to turn you, it’s going to be me” he snarls, “and I’m not letting that happen.”

Rose looks at Dimitri, “then the choice seems obvious.”

“Yes” he says, “it is” and his fangs are piercing her skin, and her body is falling limp against his, a long sigh escapes her lips.

Dimitri retracts his fangs, holding Rose up against his body until she can stand on her own again.

Rose leans against Dimitri’s body, wrapping her arms around his neck, “that feels so good” she says, “don’t ever stop that.”

It’s been over a year now since Rose has been inside the estate and since she’s heard of Galina or Marlen, or Nathan. Dimitri has significantly loosened the reigns on her. Rose has been allowed to leave her room without Dimitri, of course she has to have Alicia with her but she has enjoyed being able to go out and buy herself new clothes. And she does kind of start to like Alicia, she’s spent quite a bit of time with her over the last year, and sure she could call her a friend.

Rose is awoken by an argument in the hallway she sits up on the bed rubbing her eyes, she knows Dimitri’s voice, but she can’t understand everything he’s saying in Russian.

Rose yawns, looking back at Dimitri when he comes into the room, “What’s going on?” she asks him.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with” he says, “I have something for you.”

“What is it?” she asks curiously expecting new jewelry or something else flashy.

Dimitri hands Rose a brand new cellphone.

Rose looks curiously at Dimitri, “I can be trusted with a cellphone now?” she asks teasingly.

“For now” he says.

Rose takes the phone from him, “so what do I have to do for it?” she asks curiously.

“Come when I call.”

Rose lays down on the bed, while Dimitri sits at the desk, Rose doesn’t know what he does for work she just considers it all vampire business and stays out of it.

“Did you know people put videos of cats online?” She says watching some videos on her new phone.

Dimitri can’t help but laugh, thinking maybe he’s kept her deprived too long “Yes, I did” he says.

“Do humans really have nothing better to do Alicia?” she asks looking over at her.

Alicia smiles, “We love kittens, I used to have one when I was in school.”

Rose smiles, showing Alicia another weird video of a cat that could talk.

When Dimitri leaves the room Rose looks over at Alicia, “Is that Galina he’s fighting with?” She asks.

Alicia nods, “I heard them fighting for almost five days now.”

Rose stares in wonderment, she hadn’t realized anything was going on for that long.

“C’mon, let’s go make a pizza, I’m starving” Rose says, getting up from the bed, Alicia following her downstairs.

Alicia and Rose go down to the kitchen eating more of the ingredients than cooking with them.

“Ladies.”

Rose looks up at Dimitri whilst licking the pizza sauce off her finger, “Where are you going?” is the first thing she asks because clearly that’s the only reason he’d be here right now.

Dimitri almost laughs, “I have work to do” he says, “Stay out of trouble” he says looking at Rose, then over to Alicia.

It’s only when Rose sees Inna come up behind him that she starts to get curious, “You’re taking Inna” she says.

“Don’t worry about her” he says.

Rose glares at Dimitri, “I am” she says, “Why is she going with you.”

“Work” he says.

Rose crosses her arms over her chest, “I don’t want her to go” she says.

Dimitri looks at Rose, crossing the room standing in front of her, “You don’t get to tell me how I do business” he says, reaching into her back pocket, taking her phone from her.

“Hey!” she cries, “That’s not fair, just because I get jealous, you punish me.”

Dimitri puts the phone in his pocket, “I told you about your jealousy” he says, “and I’ve told you about the rules.”

“You can’t just change the rules every five minutes” she says.

“Yes, I can” he says and then he has Inna by the hand, and he’s taking her out of the house.

Rose lets out an annoyed groan, leaning back against the countertop.

Alicia steps up beside Rose, “I think she’s going where I came from.”

Rose looks at Alicia, “What are you talking about?”

“There’s a place” she starts, “Humans mostly, and ones like him.”

Rose frowns, looking back at Alicia, “Where is it?” she asks.

“It’s far” she says, “He won’t be back tonight, if he’s going there with her.”

“What do they do there?” she asks jealousy burning inside her.

“Meet” she says, “It’s where humans go to meet the dark ones, I don’t know why he’s taking her there but we may never see her again.”

“Why?” she asks.

“When they take us from there, they don’t bring us back” she says.

Rose stares at Alicia, “Is that where he got you?” and Alicia nods.

Rose turns away, suddenly feeling upset with her for reasons she can’t even understand herself.

Dimitri is gone for two days, and two nights, when he comes back Rose is thoroughly pissed, but she doesn’t even have time to be angry at him. When he comes back he goes up to their room, and pulls Rose right out of bed.

“Hey” she grumbles sleepily, rubbing her eyes, “Ow that hurts” she frowns.

And Dimitri stops pulling her, “We have to go” he says.

“I’m in my pajamas” is how she responds.

“Then get dressed” he says.

Rose sighs sleepily, pissed off for Dimitri waking her, then she remembers she hasn’t seen him in two days and that pisses her off too, “No” she says.

“Then your pajamas” he says taking her hand, pulling her out of the room.

“Dmitri stop” she says, “tell me what the hell is going on.”

“I don’t have time to explain this to you” he says, “We need to leave.”

“Why?” she asks and he’s picked her up, “Put me down!”

“You’re moving too slow” he says, walking Rose across the courtyard, “Go” he says, nudging her for the stairs.

“What?” she frowns, “Why, I don’t want to go back up there.”

“Go” he snarls, handing Rose her cell phone.

Rose looks curiously at him, before taking the phone and walking upstairs, back to her prison cell, turning the lock on the inside, plopping down on the sofa.

Rose lays down, wondering when Dimitri was going to come in and explain himself, he had a lot of explaining to do for the las few days. After fifteen minutes Rose is just on the verge of sleep, when the lock turns on the door.

“Dimitri you’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do” she says, and her body shivers, she sits up staring with wide eyes.

“Nathan?” she gets up, starting to move back away from the door.

Nathan grins fangs appearing, “Miss me?”

“No” she mumbles, backing up against the bookshelf, biting her lower lip.

“I missed you” he says moving closer to her, “I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”

“Get the hell away from me” she says, “I’m not your dinner.”

“That’s where you’re wrong” he snarls, lunging for her.

Rose screams, and tears rise to her eyes as Nathan pins her down on the floor his fangs pierce her skin, and tears run down her face, as the weight is lifted off of her. Rose scrambles up to her feet running out of the room, for the stairs.

“Rose!”

Rose turns around and Dimitri has blood on his hands, and for some reason, that makes her cry, she forces herself to stop, “What the fuck was that all about?!”

Dimitri looks at Rose, “I told you, it wasn’t safe for you” he says, “we can’t stay here.”

That’s obvious, she thinks to herself, she wouldn’t stay here another second if Nathan was still around, “What the hell is going on Dimitri” she says.

Dimitri looks back at Rose, “he was hungry” and a shiver runs down her spine.

Rose looks back at Dimitri, “Please don’t let him hurt me.”

“He’s dead.”

Rose’s hands begin to shake she tells her muscles to stop but she can’t her hands from shaking. Dimitri walks over to her, taking hold of her hands.

“Stop touching me” she says, pulling her hands away, “I can’t do this.”

“Getting you out of here is going to take some time” he says, “We’ll have to hide you- “

“I don’t want to be hidden” she says loudly, her emotions starting to overwhelm her.

Dimitri narrows his eyes at Rose, “You’ll do as I say, and you’ll do so quietly.”

“Just get me the hell out of here” she says.

Dimitri walks to the edge of the hall, looking over the railing, “let’s go” he says taking her hand, walking with her down the stairs. When he gets to the bottom of the stairs, he pushes Rose through a door at the bottom, closing the door leaving them in the dark.

Rose clings tight to Dimitri, suddenly afraid of the dark, “Dimitri” she hisses.

Dimitri puts his hand over her mouth to shut her up, leading her down the stairs. Rose smacks his hand when she gets to the bottom of the stairs.

“Stop trying to shut me up” she says, “What is this place?”

“Stop asking so many questions” he says, pushing her into a dark room, shutting the door behind him, flipping on the light switch.

Rose looks around letting her eyes wander around the room, it was a mirror image of her tiny apartment that she called home for almost five months.

“What the hell is this?” She asks spinning around to look at Dimitri.

“Don’t worry about it” he says.

“Don’t tell me not to worry about it” he says, “Why do you have this replica of my prison cell underground?”

“Roza” he growls, and she stares up at him, “Be quiet.”

Rose crosses her arms over her chest, she doesn’t want to be quiet, she wants answers.

“And if I don’t” she says, cocking her hip slightly.

Dimitri looks down at the younger girl, he wants to laugh at her, but right now he’s angry with her. Dimitri reaches out for her, grabbing hold of her neck though not enough to hurt her only to scare, “You feel that?” he says, “That bite” he says rubbing his thumb over the blood coming from Nathan’s bite on her neck. Rose looks up at him, and he can see the fear in her eyes, “Now remember the pleasure, and know” he says looking into her eyes, red irises piercing through her “Galina won’t stop until your corpse is cold and lifeless in her arms.”

Rose stares back at Dimitri feeling hot tears rise in her eyes, she quickly blinks them away, before shoving Dimitri away from her with her fists, “Get the fuck off me.”

Dimitri releases her from his grip, thinking that he made his point very clear, “Sit down and shut up.”

Rose lets out a frustrated breath, dropping herself down onto the sofa, crossing her legs, “Can I at least have clean clothes” she says, wanting to scrub away this entire day.

“I’ll see what I can do” he says, and the door locks, and the keypad beeps, and Dimitri was gone.

Rose lays down on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling trying not to think about the fact that she was almost killed today, and that it might not be over if she stays here. She thinks of her two options. Die, or be turned. And if Dimitri had his way she’d never be turned, but she had to wonder if he would actually let her die forever. The frustration only builds inside her the longer she’s here alone, and she doesn’t even know what the hell Dimitri is doing, and that only fuels her frustration more. She can’t even keep track of how long he’s gone because she doesn’t have a watch, and there are no windows in this tiny replica.

When Dimitri does return Rose wants to personally kill him herself. “What the hell is this all about?” She asks, “You lock me in this basement, and don’t tell me what the fuck is going on, Nathan who I haven’t seen for over a year, is trying to kill me, and now you’re telling me Galina wants my blood too, you better start telling some truth Dimitri, right fucking now.”

Dimitri looks at Rose, “come” is what he says, holding his hand out for her.

“Where the hell are we going?” She asks staring back at the taller man.

“We need to have a talk” he says.

“Then talk to me” she says, “Because I want answers.”

“We need to have a talk with Galina” he says.

Rose stares eyes wide at Dimitri, “Hell no” she says, “I’m not setting foot in the same room as that bitch, you said it yourself, she wants to kill me.”

“I can protect you from her” he says, “Just come with me.”

“No way” she says.

Dimitri looks at Rose narrowing her eyes, “Now.”

Rose stares a Dimitri before reluctantly taking his hand, letting him lead her back up to the mansion. Rose runs through several scenarios in her head of how this could play out, and she has a hard time getting the image of her bloody corpse lying on the porcelain floor of the mansion out of her head.

When Dimitri brings her inside he ushers her back up the stairs, “go up to the room, and don’t come down.”

“But you- “

“Do as your told” he says interrupting her.

Rose glares at him, before starting up the stairs, she looks down at Dimitri he looks back at her and she continues up the stairs, walking down to the room, looking back to make sure Dimitri can’t see her anymore before she slips down the hallway, she refused to be scapegoated.

“Rose!”

Rose turns around seeing Alicia, “What are you doing here?” she whispers running over to her.

“Galina” Rose shudders at the sound of her name, “has been keeping me, since Inna.”

Rose looks at Alicia, “What happened to Inna?” she asks.

Alicia looks at Rose, before looking over her shoulder, “She’s gone.”

“Did she not come back?” she asks.

“Master Nathan” she starts, “she’s gone.”

Rose frowns, “he” she can’t finish the question, she shuts her mouth.

Alicia feels a heavy breath leave her chest, looking down, “you don’t want Galina to find you.”

“What has she been doing? How long has she been back?”

Alicia looks at Rose, “almost a week.”

Rose stares eyes wide, “Almost a week?” she asks aloud, starting to think that she’s been sleeping here for almost an entire week while that bitch has been under the same roof plotting against her, that’s all she can think is that she wants her dead, “I can’t be here” she says.

“Where are you going to go?” she asks looking back at Rose.

“Where is she now?”

Alicia looks over her shoulder, “office.”

Rose stares past her, down the hall to the big office room, that she was never allowed into, “I need you to sneak me out of here” she says, “Please, I can’t let her see me.”

Alicia looks timidly at Rose afraid of what Galina might do to her if she helped her, but she also knew Rose was the reason she was here, Dimitri wouldn’t have brought her here if she hadn’t agreed to help her.

 “Okay” she agrees, running down the hall with Rose. Rose runs into her room, quickly throwing on the first clothes that she finds.

Rose glances over her shoulder, “is she watching you?” she asks.

Alicia nods, “maybe we should wait until daybreak” she says.

“That’s still hours from now, that’s too long to wait” she says, “Dimitri will bring me to her before then.”

“Why?” she asks.

“He hasn’t told me, but I don’t want to find out” she says, pushing past her, “let’s go” she says, heading for the stairs.

Alicia follows Rose down the stairs, when Rose stops halfway across the foyer Rose covers her ears trying to drown out Alicia’s screams.

“I’m back Rose Hathaway” Marlen says with a cheeky grin on his face.

Shit. Rose thinks to herself, here she is facing down yet another strigoi who wants to kill her, and all she has is a human who’s just about peed her pants.

“Where have you been?” is what she asks next.

“Mommy took her two favorite sons on a little trip” he says, watching the human girl tremble.

Rose grips onto Alicia’s hand holding her still, “Seams like if you were the favorites, she would have left you in charge while she was away having fun don’t you think?”

Rose ducks, throwing Alicia down onto the floor with her when Marlen lunges at them, she quickly pulls her up from the floor, running through the front door.

“Where are we going Rose?” she asks running through the courtyard.

“Water” is what she says, running down to the riverbank.

“Now what?” she asks, “There’s nowhere to go.”

“Nowhere but in” she says.

“No way! That could take us anywhere” Alicia cries.

“We only need to go far enough to get into the city to hide out” she says, “Now jump.”

Alicia wants to protest, but she doesn’t she jumps down into the river with Rose, and the current washes over them, carrying them down the riverbank. Alicia gulps and gasps for air, when the current thrusts her body out of the water.

Rose grips onto Alicia’s wet shirt, once she pulls herself out of the river, pulling the other girl up onto the riverbank beside her.

Alicia coughs and chokes as she tries to catch her breath, rolling down onto her back.

“You okay?” Rose asks.

Alicia nods, “I’m not the best swimmer” she admits her limbs feeling like they weigh a hundred pounds as she tries to sit herself up.

“Even the best swimmer isn’t a match for that kind of current” Rose says, “But I think we’re far enough for now.”

“Where are we going to go?” Alicia asks hoping Rose had a plan.

Rose gets up, “I don’t know” she says, “but we need to get out of the woods.”

Alicia gets up, starting to follow Rose through the darkness.

“I know somewhere we can go” Alicia says, “We need to get on a bus.”

Rose looks at Alicia, before reaching into her pocket, pulling out a soggy money note, “This is all I have.”

“It’ll do” she says, “for now.”

“And where are we going?” Rose asks as they walk toward the bus station.

“It’s a boarder city” she says, “it’s far enough to hide for a little while” she says wondering just how long they would be hiding.

When they have bus tickets Rose looks over at Alicia, “Know where we can get fake ID’s?”

It’s eight am when the two girls step off the bus, and Rose looks around, thinking this was a cute little town square.

“It’s not far” Alicia says, walking down the center square, and Rose follows.

Rose follows Alicia up the stairs, “Who lives here?” she asks, when Alicia puts a key in the door.

Alicia sighs, “My sister” she says, “we grew up in a town not far from here, in Russia.”

Rose follows Alicia inside looking around the apartment, “How long can we stay here?”

“I don’t know” she admits, “my sister won’t be back until the weekend” she says, “she’s away at school during the week.”

“You think she’d mind if we borrowed some clothes?”

Alicia showers first, sitting down on the bed letting Rose use the bathroom. Alicia lets out a heavy sigh laying down on the bed closing her eyes for what seems like only a minute, because the next thing she knows Rose is waking her up.

“Alicia wake up” she says shaking her.

Alicia groans, turning away from Rose when she doesn’t stop shaking her, Alicia groans mumbling in Russian.

Rose crosses her arms over her chest, “I may not know Russian very well, but I do know when I’m being called a bitch” she says.

Alicia groans, “I’m tired Rose” she says rubbing her eyes.

“I know, but we have to get this done before sundown” she says, “We can sleep when we come back.”

Alicia sighs, “Okay” she says sitting up, “let’s go.”

Rose heads down the stairs with Alicia heading into the town center, Alicia takes Rose into a shop, talking to one of the store clerks. Rose watches as she makes some kind of a deal with the guy, and he hands her a cellphone. Rose wants to know what she said to him, but all she can make out is ‘secret’ and ‘friend’.

“Come” Alicia says, stuffing the phone in her bag she borrowed from her sister’s apartment, “We have one more stop to make before we can get what we need” she says.

“Who is that guy?” Rose asks nosily as they walk out of the shop.

“Someone I used to know” is how she answers.

Rose wants to pry, but she thinks maybe for the sake of the situation she should leave it alone for now, “Where are we going now?” she asks.

“We need to get some money” she says, “My sister keeps money in an account for emergencies, we need to go get it.”

“Oh” she says, thinking that’s really smart.

Alicia walks down the sidewalk, walking through a small park walking into a small bank, “you wait here, I’ll be back with some money” she says.

Rose nods, sitting down in a chair trying to think what their next move should be, her body suddenly starting to feel tired from all of the running they’ve been doing for the last day.

“Let’s go” Alicia says putting some money into her bag, “we can’t make any more moves until sundown” she says.

“They might already be looking for us” Rose says.

“We have to assume they are, and stay vigilant” she says, “once I make some calls though, no movement until after sundown.”

Rose sighs, “Okay” she says, walking back to the apartment with Alicia.

Alicia sits down on the sofa pulling out the phone from her bag, and the wad of money starting to count it.

“How much money is that?” she asks.

Alicia looks at Rose, “More than you think” is how she answers, “the less you know the better.”

Rose frowns, she didn’t like being kept out of the loop, especially when this was her plan to start with.

Alicia turns on the phone, typing in a number, sending a text message, “now we sleep.”

Rose sighs, she didn’t want to sleep, she wanted to keep going especially now that it was day and the strigoi couldn’t be after them during the day, when nightfall comes who knows how far they could get, and Rose really didn’t want this night to be her last on earth.

When Rose wakes up it’s dark out “Alicia?” she calls out turning over on the bed looking for Alicia.

“I’m here Rose” she calls from the living room, and Rose all but falls off the bed in an attempt to find the other girl.

“What’s going on?” she asks walking out into the living room, her eyes going wide when she sees pizza on the table. She drops down to the floor in front of the table, digging into the pizza.

Alicia looks over at Rose, “I thought you might be hungry” she says watching Rose devour a piece of pizza in about ten seconds.

“Thanks” Rose sys in between bites.

Alicia watches Rose for a minute, looking down at her phone.

“What’s wrong?” Rose asks, glancing up at Alicia from the floor.

“Nothing” she says.

“You look upset” Rose states.

“Sorry” Alicia answers.

“What’s wrong?” she asks again.

“We grew up in Novosibirsk” Alicia starts, “that’s where I met them for the first time. Turned eighteen and my friends took me dancing. We were still in high school, we used to skip class and hang out in the local cemetery at nights.”

Rose watches Alicia as she talks, she was all for skipping class but hanging out a cemetery didn’t really appeal to her.

“That night though” she says, “when we went dancing, I drank a lot and went outside to get some air when it happened. I didn’t know who she was at the time or where she was from, but I met Galina that night.”

Rose stares, “You knew her from before?” she asks.

“I only met her that one time, she never told me her name, but I could never forget her” she says, “She was gorgeous, from her piercing red irises to the strapless skintight dress she was wearing down to her sparkling black pumps. I saw her for about five second before she had her hand around my neck, pinning me back against the brick wall, and she was staring back into my eyes.”

Rose pulls her legs underneath her body as she listens to Alicia talk, she still can’t get over the fact that Alicia knows Galina.

“I don’t know why she let me live that night” she says, “maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t scared of her when she had her hand so tight around my neck to snap it in half, and I didn’t even bat an eyelash. I think that interested her more than anything, I think she was so used to the look of terror in her victims eyes when she held their lives in her bare hands, but not me.”

“You weren’t scared of her?” Rose asks.

Alicia shakes her head, “I don’t know why I wasn’t scared, I know that she could have killed me, I knew it in that moment, but I wasn’t scared of dying, I think if I had been, I’d be dead” she says, “When I saw her that first night she was back, she remembered me.”

“It’s just a coincidence that Dimitri picked you?” Rose says a twinge of jealousy running though her.

“I’d never seen him before, I swear it.”

Rose looks back at Alicia telling herself that this wasn’t the time for her jealousy, maybe Dimitri was right she did need to work on her jealousy issues.

“Dimitri fought with her over her taking me as her own” she says, “he wouldn’t let her, he threatened to kill her if she laid a hand on either of us.”

“Why?” she asks.

“He doesn’t like being told what to do or when to do it” Alicia says recalling the conversation she’d overheard.

Rose scoffs, “You got that right” she says, “He’s the boss.”

“Inna told me before she died that he was to inherit the estate in the event of her death” She says.

“Inna told you that?” she asks.

Alicia nods, “Nathan told her, because he was pissed off that Galina wouldn’t have left it to him since he was hers first, she was dead a few days later.”

Rose looks at Alicia finding all of this hard to believe, and the mention of Dimitri’s name brought back memories for her, and when she started to think about it she realized that she was starting to crave a bite. It was almost two days now since she’d been bitten, and now that she had a chance to think about it and her adrenaline has come down, she was starting to crave the euphoric feel of the bite.

“So where are we going now?” Rose asks trying to take her mind off of Dimitri.

“Well that depends on how you think we’re going to get out of this.”

“Dimitri’s already looking for me” she says, “I know it, and I don’t think he’s going to fail.”

“If he finds us?” Alicia asks.

Rose sighs, she was still thinking about Dimitri, she still wanted Dimitri “Then I guess we go home.”

Alicia looks curiously at Rose, “How did you end up with him?”

A small smile appears on Rose’s lips, “I was in love with him before he was turned” she says, “I never stopped loving him.”

“Does he love you?” she asks.

Rose thinks for a minute “He sure likes having me around.”

It’s one week after Rose and Alicia escaped the estate, and Dimitri is sitting down at his desk, his hand is pulling at his hair as he looks back at the unmade bed that Rose last slept in. He gets up, walking down the hall into Galina’s office.

“Damika” She says standing next to her bookshelf.

“I want Rose back” he says.

“And I want Alicia” she says turning around looking at the taller man.

“She’s mine” he says.

“I found her first” she says.

“You let her go” he says, “She’s been here with me while you were gone for over a year and now that you’ve let Nathan kill Inna I need her more than you do.”

“I won’t let you have her” she says.

“I’ll kill you” he says.

Galina smiles as she glides across the room, she gently strokes her thumb over Dimitri’s left cheek, “You wouldn’t hurt your mother.”

“You are not my mother” he says.

“I’m the closest thing you have to a mother now” she says.

“I want Rose” he says.

“She better be one of us when she enters this house again” she says, leaning back against the desk.

“That’s not going to happen” he says.

Galina smiles her fangs showing, “Then you can’t have her” she smirks.

“I will have her” he says, “Alive.”

“Over my dead body” she says starting to get tired of this argument, “This is my house, my rules, and I won’t be answering to you.”

Dimitri stands in front of Galina looking down into her soulless eyes, “That can be arranged.”

Dimitri’s hands snap her neck around, before he pushes her limp body down onto the floor, watching the blood spill from her lips.

“I guess it’s all mine now” he says when he was finished with her, Dimitri grabs one of the humans walking past the door, “clean her up” he says looking into the human’s eyes.

Dimitri walks down the hall going to wash the blood off his hands, before he walks down stairs walking out to his car driving away from the estate.

Two hours later Dimitri walks down the dark street when he stands next to a cold hardened form, “I need something from you.”

“And what are you going to do for me?”

“Which city do you want?” he asks.

A laughs falls off his lips, “The one you’d never give up.”

Dimitri stares down at his feet, “no” he says.

“Then we’re done talking.”

“Wait” he says.

“How much is she worth to you?”

“You can have it, just find me the girl” he snaps, shoving a photograph of Rose at his chest before turning on his heels, walking away.

A week later when Dimitri still hasn’t heard a single thing about Rose, he starts to rethink his deal. Dimitri is waiting in an alley looking incredibly annoyed when a young couple starts walking down the alley, clearly drunk. They couldn’t have been more than twenty, twenty-one.

The young girl smiles, and tries to flirt with Dimitri, and he is hungry. When Dimitri looks up he sees another figure standing in the dark and he sees the sinister fangs.

“You brought me a snack.”

“Take her” Dimitri says, grabbing onto the younger male and Dimitri’s fangs pierce his skin, he drinks feeling the pulse thread until it was nonexistent before letting the lifeless body fall to the floor.

“Thanks for dinner Belikov.”

“Where’s my Rose” he says glaring back at the hardened form.

“Didn’t know I had to bring flowers to this arrangement.”

Dimitri glares back at him, “You’ll get nothing if I don’t get her.”

“I have some contacts checking on some things, but I need some information from you.”

“Like what?” he asks.

“You called her Rose, but do you know of any other names she might use?”

“No” Dimitri answers starting to wonder if Rose had been trying to change her identity.

“I heard of girl with a Dhamphir in Moscow, Omsk, and Novosibirsk. I have people checking up on them, I’ll have news for you at the end of the week.”

“No” he snaps, “You will have information for me tomorrow or your deal gets cut.”

“You can’t do that.”

Dimitri narrows his eyes, “Test me.”

 “We can’t keep staying here” Rose says, pacing around the living room.

Alicia sighs this isn’t how she imagined her life either, “Where else can we go?”

“We have to leave the city” she says.

“And go where?” she asks, “Maybe it’s safe now, it’s been two weeks.”

“It’s not safe” Rose says, “Someone’s been watching me.”

Alicia looks back at Rose, “What?” she asks.

“I’ve seen them a couple of times now” she sighs, “I didn’t know for sure at first, but I’m pretty sure now.”

“Why didn’t you say something before?” she cries.

“I told you I wasn’t sure, just calm down” Rose says.

“I don’t want to do this anymore Rose!”

“Calm down” she says, “Let’s just leave town.”

Alicia takes a breath, “They might follow us again.”

“Dimitri wants me back” she says, and the memories come flooding back to her the euphoria and she picks at her scab on her forearm.

“Rose” she says, “maybe it’s time we stop running, he’s going to find us eventually you said it yourself” she says starting to notice Rose’s withdrawal symptoms getting worse over the last couple of days.

“It’s not him I’m running from” Rose says.

“Rose” Alicia says looking back at her, “You’re going through withdrawal.”

“I’m fine” she says.

“There’s blood under your fingernails” she points out.

Rose looks down at her nails, putting her hands behind her back, “So” she says.

“So” she says, “you’re picking your skin off.”

“I said I’m fine” Rose says.

“Please Rose.”

“You’re willing to go back to that raging bitch?!”

Alicia sighs, “I don’t want to, but I don’t want to keep running either.”

“The only way I’m going back there is if she’s dead” Rose says.

“What about our stalker?” she asks.

“I told you, we have to move.”

After three days Rose is ready to leave. She stops at the drug store, picking up a bottle of aspirin. When she starts to walk back to the apartment, her bags are packed and she’s ready to get on the next bus headed for St. Petersburg.

Rose’s scream is muffled by a cold hard hand covering her mouth. Her heart rate skyrockets, and her short lived life flashes before her eyes.

“I told you, I’d always find you Roza.”

Rose’s eyes widen in surprise, and then she finds herself staring back into Dimitri’s soulless eyes, he has a wicked smile on his face and she can see his fangs.

“You had me followed” she says as her heart starts to slow to its regular pace.

“I wanted you back” he says.

“I’m not going back there” she says.

“Galina is dead” he says, “I killed her when she said I couldn’t have you back, and threatened to kill you.”

Rose stares back at Dimitri, she didn’t like the idea of someone wanting her head, but she was again surprised that Dimitri had killed for her.

“Where’s Alicia?” he asks.

“Back at the apartment” she says.

“Take me there.”

Rose walks through the door of the apartment, Dimitri in tow.

“Rose, is that you?” Alicia calls from the bedroom, “Everything is ready to-“ she stops in her tracks when she sees Dimitri standing in her living room next to Rose.

“He found me” Rose says.

“Where were you two going?” Dimitri asks.

“St. Petersburg” Rose answers, “but I doubt that will be happening now.”

Alicia sighs picturing the end of her life, well living the rest of her life as an eighteen-year-old living dead.

“You can stay here” Dimitri says looking back at Alicia, “go wherever you want, Galina is dead.”

Alicia stares eyes wide at Dimitri, “What?” she asks dumbly.

“We’re leaving” he says, “You can come with us, or go and do whatever it is you humans do when you’re not when you’re not around us, live in the day, go to church.”

“I can leave?” Alicia asks dumbly.

“It’s your life, do with it what you want, me and Rose are going to go start our own.”

Rose looks over at Dimitri, “We’re not going back?” she asks.

“We’re not going back” he says.

“But you said Galina was dead” Rose states.

“She is” he says, “and there’s nothing back there that I want.”

“Where are we going to go?” she asks.

“Pick any place in the entire world and we’ll go.”

An hour later Rose is getting into the car after having said goodbye to Alicia. She’s tapping away at her new iPhone, “Did you know humans also like videos of goats?”

Dimitri looks over at Rose, and laughs, “you found the clumsy goat videos I take it.”

“Cats and goats, what’s with humans?” she asks.

“I don’t know why they find animals so amusing” he says, “But I do know there’s about fifty thousand cities in the world for you to choose from, where do you want to go first?”

Rose smiles, “I always wanted to see Paris” she says looking over at Dimitri, and he looks back at her with his soulless red irises, and Rose can’t help but think there’s something different about him.

Dimitri leans over, pressing his lips against Rose’s and she smiles kissing him back, letting her fingers rake though his cool hair, “I missed you” she says a smile on her lips as Dimitri kisses down her jaw and to her neck. Her body tenses and ignites with excitement.

Dimitri smiles, and his fangs pierce her skin bringing her into a state of ecstasy, and her body is flying her head is racing.

“I love you Rose.”


End file.
